Elasticized garment seam construction



April 16, 1963 D. HQsMlTH 3,085,256

ELASTICIZED GARMENT sEAM CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. l2. 1960 BY WMM? M ATTORNEYS 3,085,256 ELASTICIZED GARMENT SEAM CONSTRUCTIGN David H. Smith, Swampscott, Mass., assigner to David H. Smith, Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 55,566 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-275) The present invention relates to dresses, and particularly to `an elasticized back waist seam construction for skirted dresses, or the like. v

In order to provide a limited degree of adjustability in garment size or dimension, it has been a common expedient to elasticize the area of adjustability, as by gathering or shirrin-g the garment fabric in a desired area, and stitching a rubber or elasticized fabric band to the gathered area of the garment. An alternative mode of effecting a similar result is to locate an elastic band within a hem or like tubular passage formed in the garment fabric. In the latter instance, of course, the elastic band when unstretched is o-f lesser length than the hem in which it is located, so that there is lsome gathering of the garment fabric under the influence of the elastic band to permit expansion of the garment when the elastic band is stretched.

The present invention is concerned-with the latter form of elastic insert, and is particularly directed to the association of such an insert with a normal seam o-f the garment. For example, as herein Ispecifically illustrated, the present invention may be applied to the back waist searn of a womans dress, although not limited thereto In the formation of a garment seam between two panels of fabric, there is usually provided as part of the seam, a width of fabric fromeach panel inside the line of stitching. This width of fabric will herein be referred to as the searn edging. yIn accor-dance with the present invention, this seam edging is utilized in the formation of a tubular passage in which an elastic band is located, and the band is secured at its ends, as by the formation of perpendicular seams in the normal construction of the garment. By this construction an elasticized seam is formed, without requiring any specialized seam construction, and wherein the elasticized nature of the seam is entirely undetectable from the exterior of the garment.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide an elasticized seam `for lfabric garments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a seam wherein the seam edging is utilized to house an elastic band.

And sti-ll another object of the present invention is to provide such a seam wherein the elasticized nature thereof is unapparent from the exterior of the garment.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one exemplary embodiment thereof, had in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts, and wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a skirted dress embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the waist seam of the dress shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary interior view of the waist seam shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the Waist seam taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a waist lsearn corresponding to FIG. 4, but of a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the waist seam of FIG. 3, taken along the line 6 6.

In the drawings, the present invention is illustrated as 3,5085,Z56 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 applied to the back waist seam of a skirted womans dress. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

With particular reference to FIG. l, the dress 1t? may -be formed conventionally of a waist portion 11 having two vertical side seams 12a and 12b, and a skirt portion .13, comprised of a plurality of panels united by vertical seams 14a, 14h, 14e, 14d, and 14e. The waist portion 11 and skirt portion 13 are integrally united by transverse waist seam 20.

Each seam is conventionally formed with an edging derived from each of the panels united by the seam. For example, seam 12a is formed with the edging comprised of the two portions 12C and 12d, as shown in FIG. 3. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, it will be seen that waist seam 2t), formed by uniting the waist portion Il with the skirt portion 13 with the line of `stitching Ztl, likewise comprises the edging portion 22 derived from waist 11, `and the edging portion 23 from skirt d3.

In accordance with the present invention, an elastic band 30 is associated with the edging 22, 23 of the back waist seam 20. To this end, if desired, the Waist seam Ztl may :first be finished in a conventional manner by applying a ribbon facing 3i over the seam edging with a line of stitching 32 applied inside the seam stitching 21 and securing the facing 3-1 to the two edging portions 22 and 23. The elastic band 30 is then applied over this facing and a second ribbon facing 33` is applied over v the band Sti, and secured by the row of 4stitching 34 to the iirst facing 31 and to the two edging portions 22 and 2,3. The band Sti is then enclosed in a tubular passage by stitching together the -free longitudinal edges of the ribbon -facings 31 and 33, and the two edging portions 22 and 23, by means of a line of stitching 35. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the elastic band 3G extends only across the bac-k waist, and terminates adjacent the side seams 12a and 12b of the waist. The ends of the band are, therefore, secured or tacked by means of the stitching forming the side seams 12a and 12b, or by a short row of auxiliary stitching substantially coincident with these side seams. The stitchings securing the ends of the band Sti also tack down the ends of the second ribbon facing 33. Of course, the construction is eifected to provide a small excess of fabric between the side seams 12a and 12b when the band 30 -is unstretched, in order to permit a degree of elastic adjustability to the back waist Seam under the action of the elastic band 3i). Although the second facing ribbon 33 is shown as terminating adjacent the side seams 12a and 12b, it is understood that the iirst facing 31 preferably covers the entire length of the waist seam, as indicated particularly in FIG. 6.

Although in the preferred embodiment of the present invention the elastic band 30 is housed by means of second facing ribbon 33 overlying first facing ribbon 31, it is apparent that only one facing ribbon need be used, housing the band 30 between it and the seam edging 22, 23. Indeed, as shown in FIG. 5, where no ribbon facing on the seam is desired, the elastic band 30 can be housed between the two seam edging portions 22 and 23 themselves.

Still other modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, intended that the scope of the invention not be `limited to the particular construction herein specifically described tan-d shown, and such modifications and variations as are embraced by the spirit and scope of the appended claims are contemplated as within the purview of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An elastically extensible garment seam in a garment comprising a pa-ir of panels secured together by a line of stitching, `a resi-liently extensible elastic band positioned along the edging formed by the line of stitching and the free edge of one of said panels, said band extending along said edging between two spaced points, said band being Xedly anchored to the edging at said points, and means cooperating with `said edging and substantially coextensive in Width with said edging to -form therewith an elongate tubular passage housing said band between said points, said band being otherwise unsecured to said tubular passage and to the garment.

2. An elastica-lly extensible garment seam as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means is the edging formed between said line of stitching and the free edge of the other of said panels.

3. An elastically extensible garment seam as set forth in claim 1, and further including a iirst facing ribbon secured to said edging, said means being a second facing ribbon secured to said edging over said lirst ribbonJ said two facing ribbons forming said tubular passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ELASTICALLY EXTENSIBLE GARMENT SEAM IN A GARMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF PANELS SECURED TOGETHER BY A LINE OF STITCHING, A RESILIENTLY EXTENSIBLE ELASTIC BAND POSITIONED ALONG THE EDGING FORMED BY THE LINE OF STITCHING AND THE FREE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID PANELS, SAID BAND EXTENDING ALONG SAID EDGING BETWEEN TWO SPACED POINTS, SAID BAND BEING FIXEDLY ANCHORED TO THE EDGING AT SAID POINTS, AND MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID EDGING AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE IN WIDTH WITH SAID EDGING TO FORM THEREWITH AN ELONGATE 